There has been a proliferation of political life since the overthrow of Saddam. But Iraq is a very young country. Its leaders have only known the most vicious brand of totalitarianism or long exile. Doctors, journalists and business people now have to organise politics for the first time and mistakes will be made. They are eager, however, to learn from the outside world and catch up on the most modern methods and mechanisms in the modern world.

Educational, political, economic, social and sporting exchanges are all crucial to this process. There is also a high regard for the British, despite our terrible role in the 20th century and English is widely taught and spoken. I worry that the toxic power of the word ‘Iraq’ is needlessly deterring investment and exchanges which are also disrupted by difficult visa procedures which regularly see Iraqi leaders denied entry to the UK.

In our meetings with the Prime Minister and his party leaders, we emphasised the rights of the Iraqi labour movement. Those who have escaped the nightmare of Ba’athism understandably worry that it may infiltrate independent civil society organisations. The Ba’athist ban on public sector organisation remains, and union funds have been frozen until they can demonstrate that they are democratic. The main Iraqi federation has always sought to demonstrate this and build a non-sectarian movement that also seeks to increase women’s involvement. This was difficult enough in the face of a deliberate campaign of assassination against its leaders but they are also hindered by these unfair government restrictions. The Prime Minister promised us progress and seeking Iraq’s compliance with ILO standards on labour rights needs to become a major priority. There are also major problems concerning women’s rights, the rights of the independent media, the large scale of corruption and the plight of displaced Iraqis within and outside the country, whose entrepreneurial skills are badly needed.